The Case Within a Case
by Leah Miyuki Cannon
Summary: A Meitantei Conan/Kindaichi Shonen no Jikembo crossover that finds Hajime, Conan, and Heiji in the midst of mystery and murder.
1. Introductions All Around

"The Case Within a Case"

Author's note: Hello all! Below is my first attempt at fanfiction. This is my take on a Meitantei Conan/Kindaichi Shonen no Jikembo crossover. You don't need to be too familiar with Kindaichi, as I've tried to include as much explaination as possible. The story will focus on all the characters listed below, and have plenty of Conan for all you Conan fans out there. So anyway, please enjoy.

"The Case Within a Case"

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Cast of Characters

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Meitantei Conan: Edogawa Conan/Kudo Shinichi , Mouri Ran , Mouri Kogoro ,Hattori Heiji , Toyama Kazuha , Agasa Hiroshi , Haibara Ai/Miyano Shiho

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Kindaichi Shonen no Jikembo: Kindaichi Hajime, Nanase Miyuki, Inspector Kinmochi, Takato Youichi

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Original Characters: Yamagawa Hiromi, 43, innkeeper; Takeda Masahiro, 50, owner of Yuki Mansion; Miyazaki Shinya, 32, pharmacist; Miyazaki Meiko, 29, housewife; Ogata Yukiko, 53, doctor and professor of medicine; Sato Shotaro, 35, reporter; Arisawa Ryo, 47, antiques dealer

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Chapter 1: Introductions All Around

Nanase Miyuki leaned against the railing of the ferry, allowing the summer wind to blow across her face. 'This feels nice,' she thought to herself. It was summer vacation and she was on her way to an island south of Okinawa for a four day trip. The weather was beautiful and the water was clear. It had the makings of the perfect vacation. She glanced over at her traveling partner and couldn't stop the giggle that tried to escape. Kindaichi Hajime never could handle a boat ride as long as she'd known him. He was slumped over the rail, and the expression on his face clearly stated that he was not feeling well. Every now and then he would moan, and Miyuki found that she just had to tease him.

"Mou, Hajime-chan. You'd think that with all the boats you've been on in your life that you would be used to it by now."

"If you're not going to say anything useful, like how one rids themselves of seasickness, then keep your lousy comments to yourself and leave me alone," Kindaichi Hajime replied. He attempted to glare at his long-time childhood friend…er…girlfriend. He still had problems thinking of the two of them in that way, because nothing had really changed between them.

Hajime thought back to a couple of months ago when the two of them had finally gotten past their shyness and admitted their feelings for each other. They had been friends for so long that changing the status of their relationship had just been a matter of changing titles from 'friends' to…what? He knew how they felt about each other, and Miyuki had started introducing him to people as her boyfriend, but they were hardly 'lovers.' He had been waiting for the day that they would finally cross that line, but he was beginning to think it would take years. Miyuki may want to be his girlfriend, but she was still pretty shy. And, he had to admit, he wasn't much better.

Which was why he had such high hopes for this trip. It was the first vacation that they were taking together as a couple, and he knew that it was important to Miyuki. He had received an invitation to visit Yuki Mansion, which was an odd name for a house in the southern part of Japan where there was no snow, from Inspector Kinmochi, as thanks for helping out with a murder case.

Actually, Hajime thought, it ought to be thanks for helping out on a number of cases. For if there was one thing that Kindaichi Hajime was good at, it was investigating crimes. His grandfather was the famous Kindaichi Kosuke, a great detective that had solved many difficult cases in his day. Obviously deductive thinking ran in the family, and along with his 180 IQ, Hajime found himself more often than not in the middle of a murder case that only he seemed to be able to solve. He could only hope that the next four days would be crime free. Things tended to happen when he and Miyuki traveled together. He wanted to put his dazzling IQ to good use and work on advancing their relationship. 

Just as he thought he was feeling a tad better, Miyuki put her hand on his arm and looked at him with concern. "Are you sure that you're okay? I may have some crackers that might make you feel better."

Hajime smiled. "I'm okay. In fact, I think I'm feeling a little better."

"I don't know. I still haven't figured out what shade of green your face is," said a voice from behind them. Hajime and Miyuki turned to see Inspector Kinmochi approaching them with a smirk on his face.

"Where have you been, ojisan? We thought you might have fallen overboard."

"Now, now, Kindaichi. Such concern. I was just talking with some old friends from college. It turns out that they were invited to stay at Yuki Mansion as well. It has been a long time since I've seen anyone from my school days. It'll be nice to catch up." 

"Didn't you say that an old friend of yours from college owns Yuki Mansion?" Miyuki asked.

"Not so much owns as runs. My friend Yamagawa Hiromi has been working for the owner for a number of years. He rents the place out when he's not using it, so Yamagawa-san has become sort of an innkeeper. She was visiting her uncle in Tokyo last month when I ran into her. She said that her uncle and some of his friends were coming to stay, and asked if I would care to join them."

"How did you get us invited as well?" Hajime asked.

"Well, I was telling her about you. It turns out that she had heard of you from her uncle. Apparently he keeps up with the ongoings of the Tokyo Police. She said that her uncle's party included some young people around your age and thought it would be nice if you could all meet." As he said this, Kinmochi pointed in the direction of another group of ferry passengers. 

There was a tall man, with a thin mustache and a cigarette hanging out of his mouth, talking to a younger girl who looked like she was his daughter. He looked rather irritated. The girl was clearly ignoring him and was pointing out to sea, bending to speak to the small boy beside her. The boy himself was grasping the railing, standing on his tiptoes trying to see better. Another couple of teenagers was standing on the other side of the boy. The girl was pointing rather violently at the darker skinned boy, who had his hands up to ward her off.

"The man with the cigarette is Mouri Kogoro. He is a private detective, but he used to work for the Police Department. He and I were in college together. The young girl is his daughter, Ran. I think you guys are about the same age."

Hajime looked the group over. "I think I've heard of Mouri Kogoro. Isn't he some famous detective?"

"Yes," Miyuki answered. "I know I've seen him on the news. He's solved a number of murder cases that have stumped some of the best police officers."

Hajime poked Miyuki in the arm. "Now, doesn't that sound like someone you know?"

"I couldn't imagine who."

"You know, I've solved a number of crimes that have stumped the best police officers, but you don't see my face all over the TV. Which is too bad, considering I'm at my handsomest after I've solved a difficult case."

Miyuki's elbow found with alarming accuracy Hajime's stomach. "Don't flatter yourself. You may be a genius when it comes to solving crimes, but you had better not let it go to your head, Kindaichi Hajime!"

"Your name Kindaichi, is it?" a voice with a strong Osaka accent asked. Miyuki and Hajime recovered from their mock argument to see that the young couple who had been arguing themselves only a few minutes before had wondered over to where they were standing. Up close, they looked to be high schoolers, the boy's dark features even more prominent when he stood directly in the sun. The girl was standing just behind the boy, her long hair pulled up to keep it from her face.

Hajime regarded the two. Sometimes he was weary of people who had heard of him, with good reason. "Yeah, I'm Kindaichi Hajime."

"Any relation to Kindaichi Kosuke?" the boy asked.

"He was my grandfather. You've heard of him?"

"Sure. I've even read a few of his case files."

"You're interested in my grandfather's work?" Hajime asked, getting interested in the conversation.

"Detective work is sort of a hobby of mine. The name's Hattori Heiji. Do you mind if I ask you some questions about some of your grandfather's cases?"

"Oh, here we go," the girl standing behind Heiji whispered loudly to Miyuki. "We can't go anywhere without him going off about murder and mayhem."

"Lay off, Kazuha. I just want to know some things about the cases I read about, that's all. You got a problem with that?"

"Only if it's all you talk about," Kazuha turned to Miyuki, clearly dismissing Heiji. "Would you like to meet my other friends? We could leave the two of them to their mysteries."

Miyuki smiled, always interested in meeting new people. "I'd love to. When Hajime-chan starts talking about his grandfather, it takes a lot to get him to quit." Miyuki turned towards Hajime. "I'll be right over there. Enjoy yourselves." With that, Miyuki and Kazuha walked over to the other side of the ferry.

Hajime shook his head. "I didn't even say anything and I still get the look. I can't figure her out."

"Girlfriend?" Heiji asked.

"Er…um…yes." The blush on Hajime's cheeks betrayed any denial he was about to make out of pure habit.

Heiji just laughed. "I've discovered that there are more interesting things to try to figure out than girls," he said, glaring at Kazuha's back. "So, you really Kindaichi Kosuke's grandson?" 

Hajime smiled, glad to be back on more familiar ground. "Yep. And I've studied just about every case he ever worked on. So, what do you want to know?"

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"My name is Toyama Kazuha. Where did you say you were from?"

"I didn't, but I live in Tokyo. I'm Nanase Miyuki. And you must live near Osaka."

"The accent gives it away, doesn't it? Well, can't be helped." Kazuha pointed to the young girl standing by the rail. "My friend Ran lives in Tokyo. Maybe you know each other."

Miyuki laughed. "I doubt that. Tokyo is a fairly large city. But, isn't that man Mouri Kogoro? I've seen him on the news, I think."

"I'll let Ran introduce you. Ran-chan," Kazuha called, causing her friend to turn. "Come meet my new friend, Nanase-san."

The other girl made her way over, trailed by the little boy Miyuki saw earlier. She was tall, and her long hair flowed down her back. "Pleased to meet you," Miyuki said to the approaching girl. "Please, both of you call me Miyuki."

"Hello, Miyuki-san. Are you going to the Yuki Mansion, too? I'm so excited. My father says that it's really impressive."

"Yes, that's what I keep hearing, too. I'm looking forward to spending some time on the beach."

"Me, too," Kazuha chimed in. "Oh, by the way, Ran-chan, will Kudo-kun be joining us?"

The disappointment on Ran's face was not lost on the other two girls. "I talked to Shinichi a couple of days ago. He said he was too busy to come. Something about a new break in the case and he couldn't afford to leave now."

"Ran-neechan, who is this?" 

"I'm sorry, Conan-kun. This is Nanase Miyuki. She'll be joining us on the island. Miyuki-san, this is Edogawa Conan. He stays with my father and I."

Miyuki bent down to the boy's level. "It's nice to meet you, Conan-kun. Are you looking forward to a nice vacation?"

"Uh-huh. Are you all by yourself, Miyuki-neechan?" 

Miyuki pointed over to her party. "No. I came with Inspector Kinmochi and my boyfriend, Kindaichi Hajime. He's the one talking to…I'm sorry, Kazuha-san, but I can't remember your boyfriend's name…"

"B..boy…boyfriend?!?!" Kazuha's face began to turn an interesting shade of red. "Hattori Heiji is not my boyfriend. We're just old friends," Kazuha exclaimed rather violently. Miyuki had given the same explanation about herself and Hajime so many times that she clearly recognized the signs. It was just a matter of time.

"Kazuha-chan, I don't understand why you always get so upset when someone suggests that," Ran teased. "It's not like you don't like him…"

"That's enough out of you, Ran-chan. I could say the same about you and Kudo-kun, you know." No one noticed Conan's reddening face.

Kazuha had touched a nerve. "Well, at least I admit my feelings to myself, even though I don't know why I bother with him." Ran replied, sounding a tad bitter. "What's going on, Kazuha-chan? I know something has changed between you and Hattori-kun since last I saw you." 

"If you're talking about that cliff incident, don't."

"I just don't understand why you don't tell him how you feel while you have the chance!"

Kazuha's expression softened as she heard the desperation in her friend's voice."Things are not that easy, you know that," she replied softly.

Miyuki felt she had accidentally stepped into an on-going argument between the two friends. "Ano…" she wanted to say something, but a voice cut her off.

"Ran-neechan, please don't be upset. We're on vacation, remember?" Conan said rather quietly.

Ran sighed. "You're right. I'm sorry, Kazuha-chan. I guess that I've just been missing Shinichi more than usual lately. That boy is going to drive me to the brink of insanity."

'If you don't get yourself there first' Kudo Shinichi thought inside of Edogawa Conan's head.

"Is everything okay over here? I thought I heard you two arguing." The three girls turned to see Heiji and Hajime.

Miyuki took the opportunity to distract everyone. "Hajime-chan, let me introduce you to Mouri Ran and her friend Toyama Kazuha. This is Kindaichi Hajime."

As pleasantries were exchanged, Conan took a good look at Hajime. 'Yep, I thought that was him. He's just as I remember. I wonder how he's been.'

Hajime sensed he was being scrutinized and turned to find a small boy looking at him as if he knew him. Thinking this was odd, Hajime bent down and said, "And who is this? Didn't anyone ever tell you that it's not polite to stare, boy?"

'Shimata!' Conan thought. 'I forgot how perceptive he is.'

"I'm sorry, Kindaichi-kun. This is Conan," said Ran. "And he does know that it's not polite to stare. He can be too curious for his own good."

Heiji looked directly at Conan. "Just like someone else we know, eh Ran? Every time I see Conan he reminds more of Kudo." Conan glared back at him, not appreciating the joke.

"Kudo Shinichi?" Hajime asked.

Ran looked at Hajime in surprise. "Do you know Shinichi?"

"I've met him a few times. We know a lot of the same people in the Tokyo Police Department." Hajime looked at Conan. "You know, he's right. You do look like a small version of Kudo."

Both Conan and Heiji winced at this comment. Wanting to draw attention away from himself, Conan said, "Miyuki-neechan, do you like the beach? Ojisan says that the Yuki Mansion is right next to the beach. I really want to go swimming."

"So do I, Conan-kun. I even bought a new swimsuit just for the occasion."

"Oh, so did I," Ran said. "Where did you get yours?"

"There's a great little shop in Ginza that has some nice things at cheaper prices. I usually go there if I have the time."

Kazuha pouted. "The best shopping is in Tokyo. You can't ever find anything good in Osaka."

As the girls delved into a conversation about where the best deals could be found, they missed the deadpan expressions on the faces of Hajime and Heiji, who knew that once girls started talking about shopping, there was no stopping them. But, Hajime did notice the same deadpan expression coming from a small boy who was probably too young to contemplate the complexities that were women. At least in the way that himself and Heiji did. He dismissed the behavior as odd, but his instincts told him to watch Edogawa Conan very closely.


	2. Getting Settled

Chapter 2: Getting Settled ****

Chapter 2: Getting Settled

Yuki Mansion was visible from the dock, and everyone was suitably impressed. The house was huge; looking like it had probably twenty rooms or so. The architecture was western, and it reminded Miyuki of plantation houses she'd seen in pictures of the old American south. Grand columns aligned the front porch, and a u-turn type drive brought cars right up to the steps. The drive itself was marked with palm trees, reminding Miyuki that they were south of Okinawa. There was a large fountain centered between the two parts of the drive, and several benches set around it. Miyuki thought that this was probably a nice place to sit at night, listening to the sounds of the ocean, which was only a few meters away.

While all of these things were grand, the most remarkable thing about Yuki Mansion was the color. The house was not built out of brick or wood, but stucco of the whitest type. Its name was derived from its color, and it really was as white as snow.

"Sugoi!" Ran exclaimed as the party from the ferry made it's way to the house. "This house looks incredible."

"At least now we know why it's called Yuki Mansion. Not very original," Hajime added.

Miyuki sighed. "Can't you ever say anything positive?"

Before Hajime could reply, a woman appeared on the steps and waved. "Hiroshi-ojichan, you made it! And just look at all the people with you!"

Hajime turned to see one of the members of their party waving back. This man was older, wearing what looked like a lab coat, and he couldn't remember meeting him on the ferry. A small girl walked beside him. He whispered to Heiji, "Who's that?"

Heiji whispered back. "That's Professor Agasa. A professor of what, no one is exactly sure. He invents some pretty cool gadgets, but I think he is off his rocker. That lady is his niece. It's through him that we got invited here."

Hajime nodded. "That must be Yamagawa Hiromi, Inspector Kinmochi's college friend. She's the one who invited us here, too."

They watched as the woman bolted from the steps of the house and gave her uncle a running hug. The professor was visibly surprised, but returned the greeting. Hiromi whirled around and addressed the entire group. "Welcome to Yuki Mansion. I'm Yamagawa Hiromi, and I will be your hostess. I hope that you are all looking forward to a relaxing vacation. I'm delighted that you all could make it."

"We're very grateful for the invitation. This place is even more amazing than you described," Inspector Kinmochi said.

"Yes, it does impress. I'm glad to see you and your friends could make it as well, Kinmochi-san. And is that Mouri Kogoro I see? The two of you better not get me into any trouble like you did in school."

Mouri laughed out loud as Kinmochi blushed lightly. Ran, sensing an opportunity to get a good story on her father said, "Was my father obnoxious in school? If he was anything like he is now, I would be rather worried."

Hiromi laughed. "I could tell you some interesting stories. But, that can wait for dinner. You must all be tired. Let me show you up to your rooms." With that, Hiromi led them into the house.

The inside was even more impressive than the outside. They were led into a great foyer that had a grand staircase covered in red carpet leading upstairs. There were doors to the right and left that led to various rooms: dinning, sitting, the library. All looked to be exquisitely decorated with fine antiques, Japanese and American.

"Takeda-san, the owner of this house, loves two things: antiques and 19th century America. That's why this house is modeled after a plantation house. And almost everything you find here is pretty old. I'll ask you to please be careful," Hiromi explained as they past through the large foyer.

As they walked towards the stairs, Miyuki caught sight of a small table leaning against the wall between two doors. Naturally curious, she made her way over to see what was on it. She gasped as she saw what looked like a jewelry or music box. It was exquisitely beautiful. The wood was polished to the highest shine, and around the edges there were designs carved into the wood that looked extremely complicated. But what had made Miyuki gasp was the top of the box. Painted in intricate detail was a large pair of alluring blue eyes. She found herself staring into them as if they were real.

Hiromi's voice pulled her away. "Ah, I see you've found Takeda-san's _Me no Hogo_ (Eyes of Protection) box. I hate cleaning it."

"It's beautiful. I feel like those eyes are staring at me as if they know something that I don't."

By this time, everyone else crowded around to get a look. "You're right, Miyuki-san. Is it a jewelry box?" Kazuha asked.

"It's a box that you can put anything of value into and it will stay safe. I can't remember where he bought it, but Takeda-san said that this box will protect anything that its owner places inside. It's thought that because the eyes on the outside are watching you, that you'll think twice about opening it."

"But you know they're not real. How can that stop you from opening it?" Mouri asked.

"When you feel like someone is watching you, whether they are or not, you are more likely not to do anything wrong because your conscience tells you it's wrong and that you might get caught. That box is using a basic theory of psychology to keep people from opening it," Conan remarked.

Mouri smacked Conan on top of the head. "And what would you know about it, boy?"

Conan hid behind Ran. "Itai! I think I read about it somewhere…"

"Well, now you've all seen it. It's Takeda-san's most prized possession. He's interested in seeing if it really works. Like I said, I hate cleaning the thing. It gives me the creeps. Why don't we continue on upstairs," Hiromi said, leading the party towards the staircase.

They ascended the grand staircase and headed down a hall towards the east side of the house. "Takeda-san's private rooms are in the west wing. I've set you up in bedrooms in the east wing, all of which have their own bathrooms," Hiromi explained. "I hope you girls don't mind sharing a room. I thought it would be fun to put you together." 

"I think that's great. Ran-chan, you won't have to share a room with your dad now, and we can stay up all night talking," Kazuha said. The other two girls nodded in agreement.

Deadpan expressions reappeared on the faces of the three boys.

Hiromi indicated the first door on the right. "Here you are ladies. It might be a good idea to relax before dinner. It will be somewhat of a formal affair, and you'll be meeting some of the other guests. I'll come get you when it's time to go down."

With the girls safely in their room, Hiromi showed the rest of the party their rooms. Hajime, Heiji, and Conan were sharing a room across the hall from Mouri and Kinmochi, who were next door to the girls. The professor and his charge were going to stay in a room at Hiromi's house, which was located on the property behind Yuki Mansion.

Everyone got settled in and decided to take it easy before dinner. Mouri and Kinmochi headed downstairs to torment Hiromi and relive college days. The girls were sprawled out on their beds, comparing stories about being associated with certain high school detectives.

Heiji, Hajime, and Conan were still staring in confusion at their room. Hiromi had shown them in and left quickly, but she had said that there was something that they would find interesting about their room. It didn't look out of the ordinary. There were three beds lined up against one wall, a couch on the opposite wall, and a window that looked out over a garden behind the house on the far wall.

Heiji spotted them first. "Well, this must be the mystery," he said as he indicated envelopes resting on each of the beds. He walked over to the nearest bed and picked up the envelope. He held it out to Hajime. "Addressed to one Kindaichi Hajime."

Hajime took the letter and looked at the names on the others. There was one for each of them. He shrugged and opened his while the other two retrieved theirs.

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Kindaichi Hajime-san,

I welcome you to Yuki Mansion. Your reputation precedes you, and I'm afraid that I am an avid fan of difficult challenges. I hope that you don't mind if I test your abilities. I've always wanted to stump a great mind like yours. You'll know when the challenge begins, and I fear we will not meet until then. Keep close that which is most precious to you. Magic is the art of misdirection. I look forward to meeting you.

Sincerely,

Me

The letter was written in Japanese except for the last to words, _Sincerely_ and _Me_, which were written in English. Other than that, Hajime couldn't immediately see anything else unusual, except for the letter itself. He looked up from his letter to see an identical look of confusion an Heiji's face. "What the hell is this? _Magic is the art of misdirection_ and some crap about a test?" Heiji asked.

"Yours is the same as mine?" Hajime looked over at Heiji's letter to confirm this. It was exactly the same. "Still no points for originality. Who calls themselves _Me_?"

Heiji ignored him and looked down at Conan. It was a safe bet that his was the same as well. Hajime followed his gaze and saw Conan staring wide-eyed at his letter. "I don't imagine small boys like you get these kind of letters often, do you?" Hajime said, assuming that the boy was confused because he had gotten a letter at all.

Conan looked up at Heiji, who immediately got the message. "Kindaichi, do you want something to drink? I think better when I have some cola or something."

"If you're going down anyway, sure, grab me a coke, thanks." Hajime went back to reading his letter.

"I'll come with you, Heiji-niichan. I'm thirsty, too." Conan was already heading towards the door.

"Back in a sec," Heiji said, and he left as well.

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Out in the hall, Heiji and Conan quickly made their way towards the stairs. Wanting to be out of earshot completely, Conan warded off Heiji's questions until they were downstairs. Without speaking, Conan handed Heiji his letter.

Heiji scanned it quickly. "It is the same. I don't see what you're so upset about."

"Look at the envelope and then the letter."

Heiji complied, and he saw the kanji strokes that made up Conan's name written elegantly on the front. He then glanced back at the letter, and his eyes widened as he noticed the difference.

"Kudo, you know what this means. Whoever left us these notes knows your secret." For the name on the letter was different than the one on the envelope. The envelope was addressed to Edogawa Conan. The letter was addressed to Kudo Shinichi.

"I know. I don't like this, Hattori. The letter implies a harmless challenge. I wonder if that's going to be the case. I don't know of anyone else who knows about me, besides you, my parents, the professor and Haibara. And if the Dark Organization has somehow discovered that I'm still alive…"

"Well, this could imply that this challenge is directed at you personally," Heiji said, indicating the envelope and the letter. "But why give one to me and Kindaichi as well?"

"No clue. But that in itself presents another problem. I know Kindaichi Hajime. Keeping the fact that I'm not actually an elementary school student from him will not be easy. Especially if all three of us are going to be involved in this. He'll see through my attempts to act like a little kid."

"You could just tell him," Heiji suggested.

Conan shook his head. "No. I'd rather keep him in the dark until we find out more about this. It may end up being some harmless game."

"But you don't think so."

"No, I don't."


	3. And So It Begins

Chapter 3: And So It Begins ****

Chapter 3: And So It Begins

Hajime frowned as he reread the letter. It really didn't hold any obvious clues as to who could have left it, other than implying that whoever did was a guest of this house. It also seemed to contain a warning and a clue. _Keep close that which is most precious to you._ This was the warning. He knew immediately that the thing most precious to him was Miyuki. He fought the urge to go and check on her. She was sharing a room with two other girls. There was safety in numbers. But, he thought, at least one of those girls might be in the same kind of danger. If he was reading them right, Hattori and that girl Kazuha were close. The letters were the same, so Hattori would have gotten the same kind of warning. It was a safe bet that Conan's letter was the same as well. This baffled Hajime. Why on earth would a boy get a letter like this? And what would his most precious thing be? He remembered back to the ferry, watching Conan watch Ran. Something was not as it seemed, but he couldn't put a finger on it.

There was also the strange way that Hattori and Conan left suddenly, as if they wanted to talk while he wasn't around. Whatever was going on with that boy, Hattori knew about it. They obviously didn't want Hajime to see Conan's letter. Something in these letters had shocked him. Hajime flopped down on the bed and scratched his head the way he always did when he was frustrated. The boy was a growing mystery that didn't have enough clues to solve. It would have to wait till later.

Hajime considered the second part of the letter. The clue. _Magic is the art of misdirection._ Was this a clue to what they were going to have to solve, or a clue to who had sent them the letter? Hajime thought about some of the cases that he had been involved in, specifically, the cases involving magic. The murderer in the puppeteer case had gotten away, only to reappear later to lead Hajime on a wild goose chase. And if that wasn't enough, there was the time when he and Miyuki had been involved in that Russian doll case, where the same man had shown up for a third time. The one man that Hajime knew that used magic to misdirect people. Takato Youichi.

When Hajime first met Takato, the man seemed insecure and incompetent; a perfect cover for an adept magician and a murderer. Which is what he turned out to be. Hajime's eyes widened as he remembered that case. Takato had used Miyuki, or rather, a puppet that looked like Miyuki, to lure Hajime out of the hotel. Takato did connect with both the warning and the clue. But wait, he thought. In that last case, he and Takato had worked together to uncover the murderer at the Russian mansion. The man had not been a threat, and Hajime had almost trusted him, or at least trusted the fact that Takato had not been the murderer in that case.

Hajime sighed. He was forgetting something. Hattori and Conan had also received letters. Although it was possible, he doubted that either of them had ever been involved with Takato Youichi. Which left him right back at square one. Well, he thought. So much for a relaxing vacation.

The door opened and Heiji and Conan returned carrying cans of soda. Heiji tossed one to Hajime. "Figure anything out yet?" he asked.

Hajime shook his head. "Nothing but speculation. I did think of someone whom I've dealt with before that might do something like this." He gave them the short history of Takato Youichi.

Conan frowned. "But doesn't it make sense that all three of us would've been involved with who ever sent these letters? This person seems to know all three of us. And I've never heard of Takato Youichi."

"Very astute," Hajime replied, staring hard at Conan.

Heiji jumped in. "Conan-kun loves to read detective stories. He's pretty smart for his age. He's even part of a group of kids called 'The Detective Boys.' They like to try and figure out clues. Isn't that right, Conan-kun?"

Conan put on his best little kid face and smiled up at Hajime. He opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by a piercing scream.

All three boys jumped. Hajime exclaimed, "That sounded like Miyuki!"

They were out the door and headed toward the girls' room in a matter of seconds.

**************************************************************************************

Miyuki, Kazuha, and Ran were all lying on their beds, giggling. Miyuki's face was beet red.

"I can't believe it. He actually said that?" Kazuha said between giggles.

"Well," Miyuki explained, "it wasn't supposed to come out like that. He was trying to tell me how he felt, but Hajime-chan is not so good with words when he's nervous. He was lucky that I gave him a chance to recover. So was I, for that matter. If I had gone with my first instinct and clobbered him, he would have never told me."

"Ne, Miyuki-san, may I ask a question?" Ran said softly. Miyuki nodded. "Well, was it worth it? I mean, you and Kindaichi-kun sound so much like me and Shinichi that I was thinking…" It was Ran's turn to turn red.

"To be honest, nothing much has changed between us since we had that talk. I've always known that he cares about me, and he's always been protective of me. Now we just have a different title, I guess." Miyuki hesitated. "And, well, there are other benefits."

"I was wondering when we'd get around to this," Kazuha said. "So, you've had your first kiss?"

Miyuki buried her head in her pillow and nodded the affirmative. Both Ran and Kazuha sighed longingly. Both were picturing certain high school detectives that they would be very interested in kissing.

"I hope you guys don't mind me sharing this stuff with you. Hajime-chan and I have been best friends for so long that I've never really had any girlfriends to talk to. Can you picture me trying to talk about first kisses with Hajime-chan?" This comment elicited another fit of giggles from the girls.

"We don't mind in the least," Kazuha said as she got up off the bed. "The three of us really do have a lot in common. It's nice to have a girl chat every once in a while." Kazuha's voice trailed off as she headed towards the bathroom.

"Ran-san," Miyuki said softly. "I'll tell you something. Things may not have changed much on the outside, but just knowing how we feel changes everything. It's definitely worth it. You should tell him."

"I know. It's just that I never get the chance. He's always off solving some big mystery, and when I do get to see him, something else always interferes. Then I'm afraid of what he'll say."

"I know how you feel. I'm extremely shy and when we…" Miyuki's voice was cut off by a commotion in the bathroom. She sat up on her bed. "Kazuha-san?"

The next noise they heard was a shriek of pain, followed by the bathroom door flying open. A large man had been kicked through it and landed right next to Miyuki's bed. He quickly got to his feet, and Miyuki's confused expression turned to one of horror as she saw the bloodied knife in the man's hand. Before she had a chance to scream, the man lunged towards her and cut her on the arm with the knife. She fell back against the bed, grabbing her arm in pain. 

Ran had jumped to her feet as soon as she saw the door fly open. She approached the man cautiously, aware that he was quick and that there wasn't much room for her to move around. She could do nothing as the man sliced Miyuki's arm, but he didn't seem to be interested in hurting her any more than he already had. The man's gaze fell on Ran, and she knew that she was next on his list.

He lunged at her, and she dodged to her left, planting her right elbow in the man's side. He grunted but took the blow, turning around, swinging his knife hand towards her. It caught her on the back of her leg. She shouted in pain and fell. She saw Kazuha emerge from the bathroom, holding onto her left shoulder. The man, his job finished, bolted from the room. He was out of the room before any of the girls could react. It was then that Miyuki finally found the ability to scream.

**************************************************************************************

The scene that greeted the boys when they reached the girls' room was this: the door was wide open; Ran was sitting on the floor against the wall, holding her leg. Kazuha was standing in the bathroom doorway, leaning up against the frame. Blood was running down her arm from her shoulder. Miyuki was sitting on the edge of the bed, grasping her cut arm and crying silently. Both Kazuha and Ran looked tired.

"Miyuki," Hajime whispered as he hurried over to her. She didn't look to be that hurt except for the cut on her arm. He sat down next to her and asked, "Are you alright?"

She nodded silently and put her head on his shoulder. He held her gently as she continued to cry.

"What happened in here?" Heiji asked as he approached Kazuha. He turned her around so that he could see the cut on her shoulder. His voice lowered when he asked, "Who did this to you?"

"Some bastard that was hiding in the shower. I went into the bathroom and then he jumped me." She craned her neck to try to look at her shoulder. "Is it a bad cut?"

Heiji shook his head. "It looks pretty shallow. I think all it needs is some first aid." He tried to smile at her.

"I was lucky to get a kick off. Sent him through the door. That's when he attacked Miyuki-san."

Miyuki had calmed down a bit, so Hajime pushed her back so he could see her arm. "Let's see. It's not too deep. I think you'll live. Can you tell me what happened?"

"Kazuha-san went into the bathroom, we heard a noise, and then a large man came flying through the bathroom door. I barely had time to register what was happening when he reached up and cut me."

Hajime frowned. "He didn't try to hurt you anymore than that?"

"I don't think his intention was to hurt us too badly. He came right after me as soon as he saw that Miyuki-san was cut," Ran said, speaking for the first time. "And as soon as he got me, he ran." 

Conan was standing next to Ran with his hand on her shoulder. He could see the blood dripping onto the floor from where she had been cut. "Ran, did you see what he looked like?"

Ran sighed. "He was big and he moved extremely fast. He was wearing a mask so I couldn't see his face. He was pretty strong. He went through the door like it was nothing, and then he absorbed one of my elbow strikes in order to make sure that he cut me with that knife. After he did that, I was on the ground, and he was leaving."

It was during this part of the conversation that Ran's father, Inspector Kinmochi, and Hiromi appeared. "Ran, what happened in here? Are you hurt?" Ran's father exclaimed loudly.

The girls repeated the story for the newcomers. Hiromi said, "There's a first aid kit downstairs. I'll get it."

"Kindaichi, what do you think is going on? Was this a random occurrence?" the inspector asked.

"Not by a long shot. There was intent here, but I don't think that the intent was to seriously hurt them. I think that this large man's job was to cut each of them with that knife only to scare them."

"He was apparently waiting for them. He was specifically targeting Kazuha and the others. I agree with Kindaichi. But if he was just going to scare them, why the knife? That seems a little excessive. Something about how he made sure each of them got cut bothers me," Heiji added.

Hajime looked directly at Heiji. "I don't think he was targeting the girls." He watched as Heiji's eyes widened as he put two and two together. The letters. The warning.

Hajime looked over to where Conan was standing next to Ran. His hand was still on her shoulder, but he was looking down at the floor. 

Hiromi reappeared with a first aid kit. "Why don't you gentlemen excuse us while I fix these cuts. It shouldn't take more than a few minutes."

Conan finally looked up. "Are you okay, Ran-neechan?"

She smiled at him. "Always so concerned about me. Yes, I'll be fine." As soon as he felt satisfied that she was, Conan turned and left the room, the others in tow.

Hajime stood up. He looked down at Miyuki, who smiled up at him. She had stopped crying, but she still looked shaken. He reached out and tucked a stray hair behind her ear. On impulse, he bent and kissed her forehead. "I'll be just outside." And he turned and left.

The other women in the room stared at Miyuki, who was beaming. She finally noticed the others and began to blush.

"Mou," Kazuha said. "If all it takes to get Heiji to treat me like that is one embarrassing conversation, you can bet we'll be having one tonight."


	4. 

Thanks to everyone who has reviewed

Thanks to everyone who has reviewed! I appreciate it! This chapter may contain spoilers for Meitantei Conan manga volume 28. Proceed with caution.

And because I forgot to before, I'll go ahead and say that Meitantei Conan and Kindaichi Shonen no Jikembo do not in any way, shape or form belong to me. I can only take credit for the original characters that appear in this story.

****

Chapter 4: Resolving Old Issues

Hajime closed the door behind him to see Heiji speaking in low tones to Mouri and Kinmochi. They nodded, and then he turned to Hajime. There was no sign of Conan.

"Kindaichi, will you join me for a bit?" Heiji asked, heading towards their room.

Hajime looked over at Kinmochi. What he wanted to do was tell him about the letters. But, he knew that he should talk to Heiji and Conan first. "We'll stay right here. You go on," the older man said.

Hajime joined Heiji and Conan in their room. Both were looking over their letters again. "You guys stopped me from mentioning the obvious reason that the girls were attacked. Why?"

"Kindaichi,"Conan said, his voice low. "I need you to do me a favor. Don't mention the fact that I got a letter to the others. Not yet."

"Why?"

"I have my reasons. There are some things I'm going to go check on. Dinner is not for a couple of hours, but I'll be back before then. Just please don't mention my letter until I get back."

Hajime looked over at Heiji, who seemed to be asking him to agree to this. Hajime closed his eyes. "I don't like it, but, okay. I will not, however, keep my letter a secret. Not when there is someone here that is going to hurt Miyuki to get to me." He sounded angry and fought to get better control of himself. He opened his eyes and looked right into Conan's. "And, I may have some rather pointed questions to ask you when you get back. I expect you to be honest with me." 

Conan nodded and turned to Heiji. "Hattori, keep an eye on Ran for me. I'll be at dinner." He said this last rather pointedly, and Heiji's eyes widened with understanding. Conan left the two standing there lost in their thoughts.

"Well," Heiji said finally. "I guess this challenge has begun. Do you really think that whoever left us these love letters is going to continue tormenting Kazuha just to get to me? I'll admit I'm pretty pissed off, but I know Kazuha can take care of herself. She kicked that guy out of the bathroom, after all."

"How close are you two, anyway?"

The question totally threw Heiji off. "Close? What do you mean by close? Good friends? Yeah, we've been that forever. Best friends? Sure, I mean, we spend all of our time together. But, all she does is drive me completely crazy and…" he trailed off as he noticed Hajime shaking with laughter. He narrowed eyes. "What's so funny?"

"Yes, a state of denial is what I believe they call it when you start babbling about nonsense when answering a simple question. I was in one for years." Hajime became serious again. "No matter how much you try and deny it, someone has noticed that you two mean more to each other than you care to admit." He held up his hand to stop Heiji from interrupting. "And that someone has already hurt her. I have a feeling that things are going to escalate before we figure them out. Which means that whether it's true or not, Kazuha is your most precious thing in the eyes of our opponent."

Heiji was silent for a minute, absorbing everything that Hajime said before speaking. "Just like Miyuki is yours, and Ran is…" he stopped himself before he could give anything away.

But Hajime had been thinking along those lines anyway. "That's right. Just like Ran is the most precious thing to an elementary school kid."

Heiji said nothing.

"I know that there is more going on with that boy than the two of you are telling me. That's fine, but I have a feeling that we're going to have to work together to get past this guy's challenge. It would be easier if I knew all the facts."

Heiji lowered his head and considered what to say. "You're right, but now is not the time. Wait until dinner. Conan will be back and he promised he'd answer your questions."

"Fair enough." 

There was a knock on the door. Miyuki opened it a crack and said, "Hajime-chan, are you in there?"

Hajime walked over and opened the door the rest of the way to see Miyuki and Kinmochi standing there. "Hattori-kun, Kazuha-san is asking for you," Miyuki said.

Heiji looked like a man with a lot on his mind, but at the mention of Kazuha's name, his head snapped up. He wilted under Hajime's knowing glance and left the room without further comment.

"You two better come in. I've got a lot to tell you about."

***************************************************************************************

Heiji mumbled to himself all the way to Kazuha's room. 'What does he know, anyway? He doesn't know anything about Kazuha and me. He was just irritated because Kudo is being all-secretive. And I'm not in denial.'

Heiji stopped in front of the door to Kazuha's room. Who was he kidding? Kindaichi had hit it dead on. He'd been head over heals in love with Kazuha ever since they were kids. It was a few months ago when he'd almost lost her that he truly realized for the first time how much she meant to him. She had saved his life by catching him before he fell off a cliff, only to fall herself in his place. Luckily, he had been quick enough to grab her with one hand and a tree with the other before she fell to the water below. Hanging there, he watched in horror as Kazuha tried to get him to let go of her so they both wouldn't die. He saw in her eyes that she would rather die than let anything happen to him. As she pierced his hand with that blasted arrow, he knew that his world would end if she fell. So he hung onto her as if his life depended on it, because, in a manner of speaking, it did.

After they had made it back, a new awareness had settled over the two of them. One that couldn't deny buried feelings any longer. They never spoke of it, but what had happened at the cliffs had finally proven that no matter how many harsh words were spoken, Heiji and Kazuha were completely devoted to each other, even though they had yet to express their feelings out loud. 

Heiji frowned as he recalled Kindaichi's words to him. Apparently they were more obvious about their feelings than they thought. Someone unknown to Heiji was threatening Kazuha to satisfy a whim. That was as unacceptable as her falling off of a cliff.

He knocked on her door. When she didn't answer, he knocked again. Still no answer. Panic filled him. Would this guy strike again so soon? He opened the door and scanned the room, almost afraid of what he'd find. Kazuha was sitting on the far bed, her knees drawn up to her chest and her arms wrapped around them. Her chin rested on her arms and she was staring out the window. She was oblivious to the world around her, and she jumped at Heiji's voice.

"Kazuha! What the hell are you doing? Didn't you hear me knocking? And why are you here all alone?"

Kazuha narrowed her eyes at him. "Why, yes, Heiji, I'm fine. Hiromi-san fixed me right up and my shoulder only hurts when I move it." She sounded extremely sarcastic. "Ran-chan went with her father to call her mother. Miyuki-san wanted to talk to Kindaichi-kun. I asked her to get you for me so I wouldn't have to be alone. But if all you're going to do is yell at me, I'd rather take my chances with the knife wielding maniac."

"Don't get that way with me. I was on my way to come check on you when Miyuki came to get me. Why the attitude?"

"Oh, so he shows concern. Is there something you wanted, or are you trying to get on my bad side?" Kazuha shot back. She was aware that she was being a tad unfair, but being attacked can make one testy.

Heiji threw his hands up in frustration. "I just told you, woman! I came to see how you're doing, but you don't answer the door when I knock, and in light of recent events, I got scared, okay? Am I allowed to worry about you without catching the third degree?"

Kazuha stared at him wide-eyed. "You…you were worried about me?"

Heiji dropped his arms and sighed. He went over to the bed and sat down in front of her. "I always worry about you," he said very softly, purposely not looking at her.

"You do?" she whispered, her irritation fading away as she searched his face for an emotion she knew exsisted, but had yet to see for sure.

He looked up at her and saw for the first time his own feelings reflected back at him. Kazuha was the most important person in the world to him. And he wasn't positive, but he was sure that he meant something to her. It was time to have this out. He reached up and traced her cheek with his finger. He felt both her shudder and her quick intake of breath, but he knew she wouldn't dare move. "You know I'm not about to let anything else happen to you. No more knife wielding maniacs. No more falling off cliffs. And absolutely no more sacrificing lives. I couldn't bear it if you died. You…" he swallowed. "You mean too much to me."

Kazuha couldn't believe what she was hearing. She never in her life imagined that Heiji would start this conversation. Oh, she dreamed of having it, but talking about what had happened on the cliff had been taboo for both of them. They had come way too close to dying and their new awareness of each other was confusing. She knew things had changed since then, and she feared Heiji would never get around to defining those changes. But, here he was, telling her in words what he had only shown before through his actions. That he cared about her. She smiled. "So serious, Heiji, that's not like you. You know I wasn't about to let both of us die when one of us could live. What if that tree had broken? You should've let me go."

"I would've let go of the tree before I let go of you. I couldn't lose you. My life isn't worth much if you're not in it."

Kazuha stared at Heiji as he stared at her. The intensity of the moment was staggering as they both confirmed each other's feelings with a look. There were no more questions. Now that she was certain, Kazuha felt a huge weight lifting off of her chest. They hadn't said the words and they probably wouldn't for some time, but she knew she loved him and he loved her. She was suddenly tired of all the seriousness. Heiji was still looking at her, expecting some kind of reaction to his admission. Feeling giddy, she tilted her head and asked, "Does that mean that if I don't like the outfit you're wearing that I can force you to change and you can't argue with me?" She blinked her eyes innocently.

His eyes narrowed in confusion, his fist closed in frustration, and then the explosion she knew would come soon followed. "I don't know why I put up with you," he yelled as he got up and walked angrily to the window. He missed Kazuha's silent laugh behind his back. "Here I am trying to tell you how much I care about you, and all you can do is make jokes." He was about to continue his tirade when he felt two arms circle his waist from behind and hug him tightly. He stiffened in surprise, then relaxed and clasped Kazuha's hands to his chest.

"It's the same for me, Heiji, don't ever doubt that. I never want to be apart from you. I can't bear even thinking about a life without you. I've been waiting a long time to tell you that. Listening to Miyuki-san talk about doing things I've only ever dreamed of doing made me realize just how badly I needed to tell you. I don't want to be with anyone else but you. And if you don't turn around and kiss me right now, you'll see what kind of torture I can put you through."

Leave it to Kazuha to be bold. Despite the blush on his cheeks, Heiji quickly turned around and complied.

**********************************************************************************

Conan ran towards Hiromi's house where Haibara and the Professor were staying. They always traveled prepared. Haibara would have what he needed. It was just a matter of convincing her that it had to be done.

Anger filled him like never before. Someone was using Ran to play a game. It was cruel. It was calculating. He really didn't like it. All of the times Ran had been threatened, it had been because of her association with him. Kudo Shinichi. He could only do so much to protect her as Conan. Whoever had sent the letters and attacked Ran knew about his secret. This guy was playing for keeps. Well, Conan thought as he reached the house, it's time to even the odds.


	5. Guess Who's Coming To Dinner

Here's the next chapter

Here's the next chapter! There will be lots of new characters introduced in this chapter, so here is a list to minimize confusion:

Yamagawa Hiromi, 43, inkeeper; Takeda Masahiro, 50, owner of Yuki Mansion; Miyazaki Shinya, 32, pharmacist; Miyazaki Meiko, 29, housewife; Ogata Yukiko, 53, doctor and professor of medicine; Sato Shotaro, 35, reporter; Arisawa Ryo, 47, antiques dealer

Enjoy!

C**hapter 5: Guess Who's Coming to Dinner**

Hiromi hadn't been kidding when she said that dinner was a formal affair. She led them all to the dining room and everyone was impressed. A long table in the middle of the room was elegantly set with fine china. The most exquisite of Japanese dishes filled the table, from sashimi delicacies to the most expensive Kobe beef. 

Hajime whistled. "Woah, what a spread. It's a good thing I'm starving. And look at that sushi. My mouth is watering already."

Miyuki sighed. "Please don't embarrass me, Hajime-chan. If you stuff your face, as usual, I'll have to tell Fumi-chan you took her magazines. Again."

"Why can't I enjoy a good meal without you nagging like my mother?" Hajime countered without much irritation. Friendly bantering with Miyuki meant things were back to normal, for the time being. He had told Miyuki and Kinmochi about the letter and his speculations. As promised, he had left Conan's name out his telling, but he did imply that he thought things were bound to get more dangerous. Kinmochi had suggested leaving, but it was Miyuki who had rejected that plan. She plainly told them that there was no sense in running away, and she and Hajime would see it through, whatever it was.

They sat at the table, and Hajime noticed that he and Miyuki were not the only ones engaged in friendly bantering. Hattori and Kazuha were going at it as well, but Hajime noticed that Hattori occasionally would look at Kazuha with complete awe, and she was positively glowing. They must have had an interesting talk before dinner.

He glanced around the table at Ran. She was staring off into space, not paying any attention to anything going on around her. Her father was trying to prompt her into eating, and she did so with little enthusiasm. 

One person he did not see was Edogawa Conan.

"Yamagawa-san, you have really outdone yourself. This is a remarkable meal. Where do you find the time to keep this house beautiful and prepare such a fine meal?" a woman at the end of the table asked.

"Really, Ogata-sensei, it's nothing. Takeda-san staffs a full kitchen as well as me. He only wants the best for his guests."

"Hmm…seems that he really enjoys the money he earns. Is it true that this house is decorated with antiques?" a very handsome man in his mid-thirties asked.

Another man, a bit older, answered. "You'll find no better collection in all of the country. I've been in the antique business for a long time, and I have yet to see a collection that compares to this one." 

"I hate to interrupt, but allow me to make the introductions now that we're all here," Hiromi said as another couple entered the dining room. She quickly went through the introductions of her college friends and their parties. As she finished, Hajime noted that there were five new faces that he didn't know.

Hiromi indicated the woman with whom she had been speaking. "This is Ogata Yukiko. She is a doctor from Tokyo. She currently teaches at Tokyo University as well as works full time at Tokyo's most prominent hospital."

"Don't flatter her too much, she's apt to let it go to her head," said the gentleman who had just entered.

"Miyazaki-kun! What are you doing here?" the doctor exclaimed, pleasant surprise showing on her face. 

"Meiko and I needed a vacation. She complains that I've been working too hard and that I'm never home."

"Yamagawa-san, please allow me to introduce my star pupil, Miyazaki Shinya, and his wife, Meiko. Miyazaki-kun would have made a brilliant doctor if he hadn't chosen pharmacy instead," Yukiko said.

Shinya shrugged shyly. "I enjoy chemistry and I couldn't resist the offer that Yoshida Pharmaceuticals offered me."

"Yoshida Pharmaceuticals, huh? They experiment with some very interesting drugs," the handsome man stated.

Shinya looked over at him. His eyes narrowed angrily. "I thought I recognized you. You're Sato Shotaro, that reporter who printed all those lies about my company a few months back."

Shotaro merely shrugged. "I only write the truth. Your boss, it is rumored, has very interesting friends. And your company only hires the best scientists to work on their very secret projects."

"There is nothing illegal going on at my company!"

Shotaro continued to calmly state dirt that he had dug up about Yoshida Pharmaceuticals, which had the effect of making Shinya even angrier. As their discussion became quite heated, Heiji took particular notice of what was said. He knew that Kudo would want all the information about this. Something about it didn't feel right.

During the commotion, Hajime took the opportunity to ask about Conan's whereabouts.

It was Ran who answered. "He went over to Yamagawa-san's house earlier to see Ai-chan. The Professor phoned later that he was going to take them on a tour of the island and that they might not make it back before dinner."

"I was relieved to see another child his age arrive with you. I was worried that he would be bored with all of these adults," Hiromi said.

Ran laughed, returning somewhat to her old self. "If there is one thing that Conan-kun could never be, it's bored. He is always interested in what is going on around him, and he loves to learn new things. In fact," she pointed to the other end of the table where someone was trying to stop Shinya and Shotaro from physically fighting, "I bet Conan-kun would have a lot to say about that argument. He is incredibly perceptive."

"Is he related to Kudo Shinichi?" Hajime asked.

"Why do you ask?" Ran countered, a puzzled expression on her face.

Hajime shrugged. "Well, they do look alike and from what you've said, they seem share a lot of the same personality traits."

"They do indeed," Ran said pensively.

Heiji didn't like the way this conversation was headed, so he inturrupted. "Yamagawa-san, who is that other man?"

"The one who has finally stopped the other two from fighting? That's Arisawa Ryo. He's in the antiques business and is a personal friend of Takeda-san's."

"That's right," Ryo said, turning towards the others as he sat back down. "We've been trading antiques secrets for years. I always enjoy visiting this house to see what else he's been able to aquire."

"My son used to collect old stamps. He'd say that he liked the 'oldness' of them. He must have had books filled with rotting old stamps. I never shared his enthusiasm for it," Yukiko said.

"How old is your son, Ogata-sensei?" Miyuki asked innocently.

Yukiko's face fell. "My son would've been 25 this year. He died of a drug overdose about a year ago."

Everyone at the table was silent. Finally, Miyuki said, "I'm sorry, Ogata-sensei."

Yukiko shook her head. "Think nothing of it." She turned to Ran to effectively change the subject. "I hear that there was some excitement this afternoon. If you'd like, I could take a look at those injuries after dinner."

"Thank you, Sensei. That would be a good idea."

"You don't think that whoever did this is still in the house do you?" Miyazaki Meiko asked nervously.

"It's possible, however, I think it's unlikely."

Everyone turned at the sound of the new voice. Those who knew the owner of said voice were stunned into silence. Miyuki looked at everyone in confusion. Heiji had a look of surprise mixed with understanding on his face. Kazuha looked as confused as Miyuki felt. Mouri Kogoro looked angry enough to spit nails.

But it was the look on Ran's face that identified the newcomer. She was staring at him as if she had seen a ghost. At the same time, she looked relieved, confused, hurt, and elated. Just as Miyuki leaned over to Hajime to confirm her suspicions, Ran whispered into the silence, "Shinichi…"


	6. Now it's Personal

Chapter 06

Gomen ne, minna! I didn't mean to take so long to get this chapter out. I'm moving, you see, so I've had practically no time to get this ready to post. Anyway, thanks to everyone who has reviewed this story; your encouragement is greatly appreciated.

To cover my bases, I want to say again that neither Meitantei Conan nor Kindaichi Shonen no Jikembo belong to me. They are the works of minds far greater than mine.

Enjoy the next chapter!

****

Chapter 6: Now It's Personal

Ran stared in shock at the figure of Shinichi. He was looking at her, but she couldn't read the expression on his face. He looked okay; maybe a little tired. She could only imagine what she looked like at the present moment. She knew she was running the full gauntlet of emotions, and she had no idea which one was being currently expressed on her face. 

Spending the afternoon talking to Miyuki and Kazuha had caused Ran to do some major thinking about where things stood between herself and Shinichi. What she had said before was true; she really did think it was time to tell him how she felt about him. She wanted to be honest with him. And there was a part of her that believed that if she told him that she was in love with him, and he returned those feelings, then maybe he wouldn't leave again.

That is what bothered her the most. His leaving. His never being there when she was sad or lonely. Leaving her with no explanation other than that he's working on a case. Leaving her alone when at times all she can do stare at the phone, hoping that he'd call. And when he did, it seemed all he could do was ask her to wait for him, his voice often filled with the longing and pain that she constantly felt.

Shinichi's words and actions were at constant odds with each other. His words often left her feeling cared for, because he sounded so hurt when he would tell her he couldn't see her. But then, if he cared so much, why couldn't he drop everything he was doing and come back to her? Did his precious cases mean more to him than she did? She often asked this question of herself, and she was terrified of finding out the answer.

And then there was this strange and bizarre notion she had been entertaining that Conan was actually Shinichi…

Ran knew it was pointless to let her thoughts go in that direction. Shinichi was here, now, standing right in front of her. She was so confused that she had no idea how she was supposed to react.

Professor Agasa entered the room. "Look who I found wandering around the ferry docks," he said as he made his way to the table.

Shinichi followed and sat down in the empty seat next to Ran. He smiled at her as he said, "Yo, Ran. It's been a while."

Ran tried to find her voice. "Shinichi," she whispered, "what are you doing here?"

"Two things, actually. I got this today," he replied as he held up a letter. Hajime had the distinct feeling that it was an exact copy of the one that he, Heiji, and Conan had received. "I guess when I didn't show up, our friend was disappointed. I didn't think much of it until I got a call from Hattori." Shinichi looked intently at Ran. "He said that you had been hurt. I decided that I ought to take what this guy says seriously and I got here as fast as I could."

Heiji played his part perfectly. "I didn't think you'd get here until tomorrow morning."

"I didn't want to waste anymore time." Shinichi looked over at Hajime. "Hattori told me you were here, Kindaichi. How've you been?"

"Alright, I guess. I haven't seen you in a while, Kudo. Where have you been hiding?"

"Wouldn't we all like to know?" Ran said with a touch of bitterness. 

Shinichi shot a glance at Ran, but answered Hajime's question. "Here and there. I've been working on some pretty difficult cases."

"Really, what kind of cases?"

"I thought I recognized you," Shotoro cut in, bringing everyone's attention back to the table. "You're that famous high school detective. My paper has done a few stories on you."

"I suppose we should go through the introductions again for the benefit of our newcomers," Hiromi said. She did so quickly, and everyone returned to their dinner.

"Weren't two little kids supposed to come back with you, Professor?" Kazuha asked over the din of conversation.

Shinichi paused in his retelling of cases to Hajime for a brief moment and looked over at the Professor. The Professor smiled at Kazuha and said, "Those two found some video games at Hiromi-chan's house and decided that they would much rather spend the evening playing games. In fact," he glanced over at Mouri, "if it's okay, Conan-kun could just stay over there for the evening. That would free up his bed for Shinichi-kun."

Mouri, who was still looking mighty angry at Shinichi, mumbled that it would be fine.

Hajime was still looking at Shinichi, who suddenly looked relieved that that conversation was over. He watched him as he bent to say something to Ran. Something didn't add up. Conan had said that he would be at dinner after taking care of some things. He seemed very upset over the attack on the girls, and he seemed disturbed by the letter. Now he's going to spend the evening playing video games? This change in Conan's behavior was disturbing. Then, all of the sudden, Kudo Shinichi shows up out of nowhere. And he was on edge as well, not acting as confident as Hajime remembered. The other boy seemed jumpy and paranoid. He even called Ran 'neechan' at one point, earning himself a slap on the arm from the offended girl. Hajime allowed Shinichi to distract him with idle conversation, but Hajime was beginning to get an idea about that little boy and Kudo Shinichi, one that he could hardly bring himself to believe.

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After a while, dinner was over and everyone had adjourned to one of the sitting rooms for coffee and dessert. 

The Miyazakis and Yukiko were sitting on one of the couches discussing the latest medical news. Shotaro was trying to get financial information about Takeda out of Ryo. Hiromi, Mouri, Kinmochi, and the Professor were sitting around a table chatting amiably. The six teenagers in the room were standing by one of the open bay windows, going over events of the day.

"So, Kudo, Hattori filled you in on what you missed earlier," Hajime was saying.

"Yes, and I've had some time to think about who would do something like this. You mentioned a man you know who likes to use magic," Shinichi replied.

"Takato Youichi."

"But neither Hattori nor myself knows of him. It stands to reason that all three of us would know whoever is doing this." Shinichi paused. "You wouldn't happen to know of the Kaitou Kid, would you?"

"You don't think he is behind this, do you, Shinichi?" Ran asked, fanning herself with her hand.

Shinichi turned to address her. "The note is definitely his style, but I'm pretty sure that it's not him. He likes to play games, but I've never seen him use violence in any way. What's wrong, Ran? Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm fine. It's just hot in here."

Kazuha put her coffee down on the nearest table. "You're right, Ran-chan. I can't drink any more of this coffee `cause I'm too hot."

"It's probably all of these people in one room. So, it's possible that the Kaitou Kid is behind this?" Ran said, wanting to get back to the subject at hand. The sooner they finished discussing this, the sooner that she could get Shinichi alone.

"I've never heard or dealt with anyone called the Kaitou Kid," Hajime said, eyeing Miyuki. She was fanning herself, too, and Hajime had been thinking how cool it was for a summer's evening.

"We could be jumping to conclusions. Maybe we shouldn't discard either of them. I mean, they both know at least one of us, and it is possible that the other two were dragged into this for kicks," Heiji added.

"And maybe we should start considering what else this guy has in store for us. I don't like how this game of his began. We should try to anticipate his next move," said Hajime.

"You may find that difficult, Kindaichi-kun. You never know where I'll be next." 

Everyone in the room jumped at the sound of the disembodied voice that seemed to come out of nowhere.

"Who's there?" Hajime shouted.

"Tsk-tsk, Kindaichi. I thought you'd remember. I guess it has been a while. But, then again, the last time I saw you, you and I actually managed to get along. Couldn't we get along now?"

"Where are you, Takato?" Hajime asked, scanning the room but finding no one that resembled Takato Youichi. "Are you behind this?"

Shinichi and Heiji looked at Hajime. It was clear now who had set this up. 

Yukiko leaned over and whispered to Hiromi, "What's going on?"

"I have no clue," Hiromi whispered back.

"I am everywhere and nowhere at the same time," Takato was saying, his voice surrounding everyone in the room.

Heiji got angry. "Your riddles are really starting to get annoying. I understand that you may have issues with Kindaichi, but why involve Kudo and I? As far as I know, I've never heard of you. And we really don't even know what it is you want."

"All will be revealed in good time, Hattori-kun. I take it you got my little messages this afternoon. You'll want to look at those very closely."

"Why?" Shinichi asked.

Takato's disembodied voice seemed to sigh. "I imagine that after this afternoon's demonstration that you three would want to be very careful and consider every avenue."

It was Hajime's turn to get angry. "We don't even know what we're supposed to be doing. Why don't you stop talking in circles and get to the point."

"I'm afraid that the point is about to make itself very clear."

"What the hell are you talking…" Hajime started to say, but was cut off when Miyuki suddenly grabbed his arm. He looked at her and saw that her face was extremely pale and she was clutching her chest. She was trying to take in deep breaths but having difficulty.

"Miyuki!" Hajime shouted as she pitched forward. He caught her before she fell. "What's wrong?"

"I…can't…breathe…" Miyuki tried to say, but her face just withered in pain.

Everyone in the room had their eyes on Hajime and Miyuki, trying to figure out what was going on. Heiji turned to Kazuha, remembering that they both had been cut with that same knife before, and how he'd found that strange. Just as he realized what was about to happen, Kazuha clutched at her chest and began breathing heavily.

"Kazuha!" he said as he helped her sit down.

Shinichi had figured out what was happening. When their attacker cut them with his knife, the girls had been poisoned somehow. The knife had been laced with something that wouldn't take effect for a few hours. He was guessing that their challenge was going to be a cliched 'save your girlfriend before she dies.' He was not happy about this turn of events. He looked at Ran, knowing what was about to happen to her, wishing that he could stop it somehow.

Ran was looking back at him, fear written all over her face. He grabbed her arms to keep her from falling when the poison took effect. She smiled weakly. "Why does something bad always happen just when you finally come back to me?" 

"Ran…" he started to say, but couldn't go any further because she was distracted by the pain. As she fell forward, he caught her and held her close to him.

"You have twenty-four hours. The antidote is in this house and I've left you enough information to find it. We'll speak again tomorrow evening."

"Takato!" Hajime shouted. "Takato, where are you, you bastard?"

The only answer he got was silence. 

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Author's Note: I wrote this before reading the end of the Kindaichi manga, so the conversation between Takato and Kindaichi refers to the anime, not the manga. I apologize for any discrepancies. I know that this chapter is short, but, believe it or not, I'm still setting things up, and this was a logical end to this scene. The next chapters will get more lengthy, trust me. Thanks for reading! 


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